'58 Plymouth Belvedere...

[Jon Cole]

I was inquiring in the "General" folder about the quality of the '58 Plymouth kit by AMT

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31346&st=0&p=312054&hl=58%20Plymouth&fromsearch=1&#entry312054

Thanks to some great advice and comments, I knew the car was some messed up as is from the box. While it seems there is several "issues" with the kit, Bill Geary really stressed the wrong line or profile.

I cannot fix everything, but I can change the profile. I focused on the body line that starts in front of the rear fin, and goes across the rear quarter, across the door, across the front fender to the front.

That rear quarter, like all the poorly shaped side trim, bows down at each end of the car. It seems like it should be level, at least in the mid section.

Here is a pic of the AMT body with a steel rule resting on the door, note the light visible at each end between it and the car.

I think the body needs to be kicked up in the back half. But first, the roof needs to be removed so the body can be flexed. Once that is cut, the front and the back part ways.

Now to glue in some bracing to join the front and back...

...then glue the two halfs together, and clamp:

Then I glued the roof back on.

Next, I need to fix the rocker panel between the cut, and the rear wheel opening. I am sure there is more, I'm not sure. Some things I can fix, we will see.

More to come... eventually.

[george 53]

Cool, Jon, Imma be watchin this one, caz if it's one thing I sure like to do is cut plastic!! Please keep us updated on this. I think you'll be well rewarded for your efforts!!!

Edited June 23, 2010 by george 53

[Foxer]

Holy cow, Jon! That is no slight fix.. but, nice slice! I always loved the '58 Plymouths ... looking forward to this.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Foxer

[MrObsessive]

WOW! That sure is some brave cutting Jon!!

The approach I had in mind was a bit different, but whatever works! I'll be watching this one too! I also have an idea to replace the side trim "anodizing", but you might have something else in mind for the side trim.

Keep us posted...............lookin' good so far!

[MikeMc]

I agree with Bill...its a lot of work..looking great so far...if it doesn't work...you can make a killer kustum sled....

[Romell R]

you have my attention....

[jeffs396]

And if the corrections turn out the way you plan, could be a good candidate for a resin cast...

[impcon]

Now this I HAVE to watch!!! Interesting and educational indeed! I am curious as to what you are going to do with regards to the rocker panel and how it now tilts upwards behind the cut. I know that it is just a plastic toy car but still, it takes a certain amount of self confidance, skill and experience to do what you did to it. Hmmmmmmm.. maybe you could get a job at AMT or Revell or Monogram - sort of a consultant type thing where you go in and when you see such an obvious lack of quality control, you are within your rights to give the guy who OK'd this a slap upside the head, make him go and stand in the corner and then redo the project in the evenings at home on his own time. Jeepers - guys complain about some of the resin casters but most of the good ones would likely never let something as obvious as that design flaw get by them. Maybe what these companies need to do is start hiring some guys who REALLY love old cars and want to pay fair tribute to them to do the designing and proofing...I don't think a true car nut would have let that flaw get past him. Just my opinion..

[charlie8575]

I think I needed this to see the problems with the kit. Eeesh...

Very creative fix, Jon. I'll be interested to see how you replace the moldings. As an idea, you could make it a Savoy seeing you have all the trim off anyway. The Savoy trim is much, much simpler.

I didn't like that that molded in the annodized trim. That was an option, most cars from what I've seen, had that area two-toned to match the roof. The texturing made this impossible unless you wanted to sling lots of putty.

Charlie Larkin

Edited June 23, 2010 by charlie8575

[John Goschke]

Oh, yeah! Hats off to you, Jon, for moving forward with this project! Great work so far and look forward to seeing progress.

That shot with the steel rule gives the clearest demonstration yet seen of the critical flaw in this kit that we "rivet counters" have been whining about since day one!

Edited August 13, 2010 by John Goschke

[Jon Cole]

It's been too long since updating this one. Probably doesn't help that I progress at a snail's pace.

All I have to show is some filling in on the gap. I am having a hard time getting the side body style line to form on the rear quarter... I just did a prime on it tonight, hope I have it close to say the least.

This will be a '57, so the side trim will be less involved than the '58. Not too sure where this will end up... maybe a custom w/o side trim?

[Jon Cole]

Turns out, the trick to fixing that style line was to sand away more filler, not add more. Who knew?

[Danno]

Great project, Jon. Good luck!

[John Goschke]

Keep it going, Jon! Definitely looks better. The idea to make it a '57 is a good one, with simpler side trim. These cars definitely look better with the side moldings in place; they just look too plain without it.

[Modellpularn]

Wow, interesting project! I like how you fixed the body. Now I know what to do if I buy that kit..... I need to come up with some fancy paint job for the snap kit first.

[Jon Cole]

Since this pic was taken, it has had a guide coat, sanded, primed, and resanded. Plans have changed, stock '57 is out, a custom '58 is in. I still have resin '57 parts from the Modelhaus, so I think I would like a resin copy of this body, now that I have tweaked it for straightness and sans trim. Who should I contact? How long would I be waiting?

Edited September 3, 2010 by Jon Cole

[charlie8575]

Jon,

I know Jeff at Missing Link has been actively soliciting new products, you might want to talk to him. I don't remember if you were at MassCar this past March, but he was there. He's a very nice guy, and his work is absolutely first-rate. I'll go so far as to say he walks away from Don Holthaus in quality simply because of that beautiful resin he uses. Had I not known better, you could've told me it was old AMT or Revell styrene, and I'd've gone along with you (the new non-spec Chinese garbage material feels and looks skizzy.)

Jeff- as a thought: perhaps you could supply photo-etched trim and scripts so the builder has the option of building either a 1957 or '58 Savoy, Belvedere or Fury, as all three came as the sport coupe. I always liked the Savoy side-trim any way.

Here are some picture links.

An Australian '57 Savoy, which is identical in trim to the U.S. version:

Here's a Fury for comparison.

This is a Belvedere.

Note all the above are 1957s posted as a comparison.

This body has a lot of potential for us modelers. I know the rest of the kit is good, but they screwed up the body royally. Perhaps someday, Round 2 can be talked into fixing it.

Charlie Larkin

[cooltoys1]

If you contract a resin guy like Missing Link to do copys for you of that body without the trim, count me in for about 10-15 of them! Im tired of sanding the trim off.

Jay

[charlie8575]

If you contract a resin guy like Missing Link to do copys for you of that body without the trim, count me in for about 10-15 of them! Im tired of sanding the trim off.

Jay

Very nice builds. Is that Suburban a promo or is someone casting it?

Another idea came to mind- the door lines could be re-scribed to make a Belvedere or Savoy Sport Sedan?

Charlie Larkin

[cooltoys1]

Charlie, the teal suburban is a kit bash with a 60 Plymouth wagon, the other is a modelhaus resin.

any updates on this???

[Drake69]

Bumping this thread to read up on the kit's problems.

[cooltoys1]

Anything new????